Essay on Codes of Ethics: A Guide to Leaders & Human Resources Management

Introduction

The decisions and judgments an individual makes in the daily activities depend on the codes of ethics he or she holds. Many are the times a person faces decisions which act as a test to one's moral law. Hence, all leaders need codes of ethics to guide their actions. Human resources management activities such as decision making, programs, and policies have a significant impact on the lives of workers. In most cases, human resources management is fundamentally considered as an ethical activity. The main objective of this department is implementing the values and policies of an institution while supporting its mission and goals. Moreover, a human resource manager should govern workers' behaviors and establish a climate for interaction. Ethics and ethical practices are united into features of human resources management.

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The ability to reason ethically is considered significant in the shared principles and concepts that guide general moral concerns. The ethical principles are classified into two main groups which are deontology and utilitarianism (Khalid et al., 2017). Deontology is defined as an ethical trait which requires both means and the result to be morally upright. On the other hand, practical codes of ethics state that the end goal justifies the means even though the used methods were not moral.

Personal Ethical Code

I believe in the deontology code of ethics. This is because the ethical code suits my lifestyle, career, my interaction with others, and the significant role as a human on this planet. Through the deontological ethics, an activity is considered morally upright due to the characteristics involved and not of the expected results. In deontological ethics, some acts are ethically mandatory irrespective of the penalties for human welfare. Thus, having deontological ethics helps a person build a relationship on trust and honesty. Additionally, since actions are judged independently, the moral law is respected for the rule rather than out of natural inclinations, which brings about a better life with self and others.

Evolution of Ethical Codes

My ethical code creates a theoretical framework which requires workers to recognize, evaluate and address threats to permission with the essential values. My system of ethics was initially made up of one fundamental value, which was integrity. However, my ethical code is consistently evolving bringing sense to my leadership and the leadership of other people I interact with in the career. This has been caused by other fundamental principles such as objectivity, confidentiality, professional behavior and competence with due care which I have added in my list. Over time I have seen positive changes in my leadership skills which have been impacted by the evolving ethical code.

Ethical Code in Decision Making

Ethics play a significant role in the decisions a person make daily. Some of the possible choices that ethical code inform are, for instance, receiving much change in the store when paying for something. In such a case the person requires a strong moral code to return the money to the owner, or sometimes when a person calls sick to work so that one can have a day off. The strong sense of the personal code of ethics helps guide in the decision-making process. Sometimes I find myself in an ethical dilemma about a situation which seems like nature to me. However, most of these situations compromise my ethics. Since these type of ideas lead to naturally rapidly downhill, my ethics have helped me navigate the slippery slope by drawing a line for myself. I clearly understand what I am supposed to do and what I should not do which has helped me in my career and life.

Unique Ethical Code

My ethical code is distinctive for it reflects my unique identity. I have learned to stand for the truth even when I stand alone. I do not consider doing the wrong thing because everyone else does it. My definition of unethical behaviors is everything I believe to be unfair to others, something that reflects my brand and people's expectations from my professionalism and personality. My ethical code helps me abide by the laws and regulations. I also do my operations honestly and fairly, providing a conducive environment for the employees while building a good relationship with other leaders. Although all unethical conducts are not illegal, I always try to do the right thing an aspect that singles me out from many different human resources managers. I have also learned to treat people in ways I would want to be treated.

Conclusion

To sum up, the decisions and judgments an individual makes in the daily activities depend on the codes of ethics he or she holds. However, ethics and ethical practices are united into features of human resources management. The ethical principles are mainly classified into two groups, which include deontology and utilitarianism. My moral code is deontology because I believe in honesty and integrity. My ethical system creates a theoretical framework which requires workers to recognize, evaluate and address threats to permission with the essential values. Additionally, ethics play a significant role in the decisions a person makes daily. I have made tough decisions due to my robust ethical code. Therefore, I consider my moral code is distinctive.

Reference

Khalid, K., Eldakak, S. E., & Loke, S. P. (2017). A structural approach to ethical reasoning: The integration of moral philosophy. Academy of Strategic Management Journal.